Card games

ABSTRACT

A card game where participating players place a bet in an individual player area, an individual hand of card(s) is dealt to each participating player and the dealer; the players&#39; individual hands and the dealer&#39;s hand are accessed using conventional Baccarat points count rules. Each player has the option of placing an additional draw bet to draw an additional card, the dealer drawing an additional card if the point-count of the cards initially dealt to the dealer is within a predetermined range, the dealer otherwise standing on the cards initially dealt to the dealer, where the dealer or any player draws an additional card, the point-count for the additional card is added to the point-card of the original hand thereby determining the value of the completed hand. The player wining if the point count of the player&#39;s individual completed hand is higher than that of the dealer&#39;s completed hand.

This application is a National Stage completion of PCT/GB2011/001532 filed Oct. 26, 2011, which claims priority from British patent application serial no. 1018139.4 filed Oct. 27, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to card games and in particular to a card game played in accordance with the Baccarat point-count rules.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Baccarat has been played as a casino card game for centuries, is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of Charles VIII of France who ruled 1483-1498.

Currently there are three accepted variants of the game: baccarat chemin de fer, baccarat banque (or à deux tableaux), and punto banco (or North American baccarat). In all three variants, irrespective of the number of players, bets are placed in respect of a single common player hand of two or three cards and a single banker hand of two or three cards. Two cards are initially dealt to each of the player and dealer hand with the option of drawing an additional card, depending in the point count of the initial two cards.

The game has three possible results—‘Player’, ‘Banker’, and ‘Tie’, upon which each individual Player may place a bet.

These variations of Baccarat have no Player involvement on the playing of the hands, the option of drawing an additional card depending purely on the point count of the initial two cards, for example if the initial point count of the player hand is below a pre-designated value, for example 5, then the optional card is drawn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a card game comprises the steps of;

providing a playing area, the playing area being divided into a plurality of individual player areas;

one or more Players placing a bet in a bet area of an individual Player, to participate in the game;

an individual hand of one or more cards being dealt to each of the one or more Players;

a hand of one or more cards being dealt to a Dealer;

the value of each Player's individual hand and the Dealer's hand being accessed using conventional Baccarat points count rules;

each Player having the option of placing an additional bet in a draw bet area of the Player's individual player area to draw an additional card;

the Dealer drawing an additional card if the point-count of the one or more cards initially dealt to the Dealer is within a predetermined range, the Dealer otherwise standing

on the one or more cards initially dealt to the Dealer;

where the Dealer or any Player draws an additional card the point-count for the additional card is added to the point-card of the original hand thereby determining the value of the completed hand;

the Player wining the game if the point count of the Player's individual completed hand is higher than that of the dealer.

In accordance with the present invention each Player participating in the game has an individual hand the play of which, that is the decision to draw an addition card or not, is entirely up to the Player.

The value of each Player's and the Dealer's hands are decided on conventional Baccarat point-count rules, as follows: —

Cards 2-9 are worth face value; 10s and face cards (J, Q, and K) are worth zero and Aces are worth 1 point.

Players calculate their score by taking the sum of all cards modulo10 meaning that after adding the value of the cards the tens' digit is ignored. For example a hand consisting of 2 and 3 is worth 5. A hand consisting of 6 and 7 is worth 3 in Baccarat—6 plus 7 equals 13 and the first digit is dropped because the total is higher than 9.

Likewise and by way of example any two digit total has a point-count limited to the second digit, 1+9 has a point-count of zero, 2+9 has a point-count of 1, 3+8 has a point-count of 1, 4+8 has a point-count of 2, 5+7 has a point-count of 2, 6+8 has a point-count of 4, 7+9 has a point-count of 6.

A hand consisting of 4 and 6 is worth zero, or Baccarat.

The highest score that can be achieved is 9 (from a first card of 9, two cards of 4 plus 5, 10/J/Q/K plus 9, Ace plus 8, 2 plus 7, and 3 plus 6).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying sole FIGURE of drawing in which this FIGURE illustrates a playing area for a card game in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As illustrated in this sole FIGURE, the playing area 10 is divided into a plurality of player areas 12, each player area 12 having an area 14 in which an individual player hand may be dealt, a bet area 16 and a draw bet area 18. The playing area 10 also includes an area 20 in which a Dealer's hand may be dealt.

According to one embodiment, each Player wishing to participate in the game places a bet in area 16 of a player area 12, each Player selecting a different Player area.

From one or more decks of standard playing cards a Dealer then deals one card face up to each individual Player in area 14 of the Player's player area 12 and one card face down to the Dealer in area 20.

Each Player then has the option of standing with his first card or placing an additional draw bet equal to the Player's original bet, in area 18.

The Dealer will then deal an additional card to area 14 of each Player who has placed an additional draw bet in area 18.

If the value of the initial card dealt to the Dealer in area 20 is 3 points or lower by the conventional Baccarat point-count rules then the Dealer must deal an additional card to area 20. If the value of the initial card dealt to the Dealer in area 20 is 4 points or higher by the conventional Baccarat point-count rules then the Dealer must stand.

When play of each of the individual Player's and Dealer's hands are completed then the values of the one or two cards constituting each completed hand are totaled for the purpose of determining the value of the completed hand.

The Player wins, at predesignated odds, if the point-count of his individual completed hand is higher than that of the Dealer's completed hand.

If the value of the individual Player's completed hand is lower than that of the Dealer completed hand, the Player loses and will forfeits the Player's bet and draw bet if placed.

If the value of the individual Player's completed hand ties with that of the Dealer completed hand the result is a push and bets are refunded.

Play Example—Single Card Hand

Three Players place their bets in areas 16 of three different player areas 12.

The Dealer then deals one card to area 14 of each player area 12 in which bets have been placed and one card face down to area 20 for the Dealer's hand.

The individual card dealt to the first Player has a value of 7. The first Player stands on 7.

The individual card dealt to the second Player has a value of 4. The second Player places a draw bet in area 18 and is dealt an additional card the value of which is 8, making a point-count of 2 (8+4=12), for the completed hand.

The individual card dealt to the third Player has a value of 2. The third Player places a draw bet in area 18 and is dealt an additional card the value of which is 6 making a point-count of 8 for the completed hand.

The Dealer then exposes his initial card which has a value of 3. Under the rules the Dealer must draw an additional card. Dealer's second card is a 4 making a point-count of 7 for his completed hand.

The outcome of the game is that Dealer ties with the first Player, beats the second Player and loses to the third Player.

According to a second embodiment after bets have been placed in bet areas 16 by all Players wishing to participate in the game the Dealer deals two cards face up to area 14 of each participating Player and two cards to the Dealer one face up and one face down to area 20.

Each Player has the option of standing with his original two card hand or drawing an additional card by placing a draw bet equal to the Player's initial bet in area 18.

The Dealer must draw an additional card if the value of the Dealer's initial two cards is 4 points or lower and must stand if the value of the Dealer's initial two cards is 5 points or higher.

The Player wins, at predesignated odds, if the point-count of the player's completed two or three card hand is higher than that of the Dealer's completed hand.

If the Player's completed hand is lower than that of the Dealer completed hand, the Player loses and will forfeit the Player's bet and draw bet if placed.

If the aggregate values of the Player's completed hand ties with that of the Dealer completed hand the result is a push and the Player's bets are refunded.

An example of the predesignated odds paid on winning bets in respect of this version of the game is: —

Completed Hand Value Odds Initial bet 1 to 1 Draw bet 9 3 to 1 8 2 to 1 7 3 to 2 6 or lower 1 to 1

According to a third embodiment after bets have been placed in bet areas 16 by all Players wishing to participate in the game the Dealer deals three cards face up in area 14 of each participating Player and three cards to the Dealer one face up and two face down in area 20.

Each Player has the option of standing with his original three card hand or drawing an additional card by placing a draw bet equal to the Player's initial bet in area 18. The Player then has a second option of drawing a further additional card, which he may exercise provided the point-count of his four card hand is 4 points or higher.

The Dealer must draw an additional card if the value of the Dealer's initial three cards is 4 points or lower, the value of the additional card being aggregated with the point-count value of the Dealer's original hand to become the Dealer's completed hand. The Dealer must stand if the value of the Dealer's initial three cards, is 5 points or higher.

The Player wins, at predesignated odds, if the point-count of his three, four or five card completed hand is higher than that of the Dealer completed hand.

If the Player's completed hand is lower than that of the Dealer's completed hand, the Player loses and will forfeit the Player's bet and draw bet if placed.

If the aggregate values of the Player's completed hand ties with that of the Dealer completed hand the result is a push and the Player's bets are refunded.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the game may be played with one or more drawing options. The draw requirements for the Dealer's hand may also be varied.

The game may be played with single or multiple conventional packs of cards or with packs containing more or fewer cards than the conventional packs that is cards, for example face cards, may be stripped from conventional packs or additional cards added.

The game or any variation thereof may be played in electronic form, by remote betting, on the world wide web, on the internet, on a local area or remote network, with virtual or part-virtual components, on video screens, using computer programs, interactive television, by way of scratch-card or lottery or as a family or fun game or any combination thereof.

Furthermore the term ‘cloth’ or ‘gaming cloth’ used herein is not intended to restrict the claims to use of a particular material but will cover any medium which defines a playing area for the games, whether real, virtual, artificially illuminated or otherwise. 

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A card game comprising the steps of: providing a playing area with the playing area being divided into a plurality of individual player areas; one or more players placing a bet in a bet area of an individual player area, to participate in the game; dealing an individual hand of one or more cards to each of the one or more players; dealing a hand of one or more cards to a dealer; a value of each of the player's individual hands and the dealer's hand being accessed using conventional baccarat points count rules; each player having the option of placing an additional bet in a draw bet area of the player's individual player area to draw an additional card; the dealer drawing an additional card if the point-count of the one or more cards initially dealt to the dealer is within a predetermined range, otherwise the dealer standing on the one or more cards initially dealt to the dealer; where the dealer or any player draws an additional card the point-count for the additional card is added to the point-card of the original hand thereby determining the value of the completed hand; and the player wining the game if the point count of the player's individual completed hand is higher than that of the dealer.
 12. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of paying out winning bets at predesignated odds.
 13. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of initially dealing one card face up to each player and dealing one card face down to the dealer.
 14. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of initially dealing two cards face up to each player and dealing two cards, one face up and the other face down, to the dealer.
 15. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of initially dealing three cards face up to each player and dealing three cards, one face up and two face down, to the dealer.
 16. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing each player with an option of drawing a second additional card.
 17. The card game according to claim 16, further comprising the step of providing each player with an option of drawing a second additional card provided that the value of the Player's hand, comprising the initial cards dealt to the player and the first additional card, is within a predetermined range.
 18. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of playing the game with a deck comprising one or more conventional packs of playing cards.
 19. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of playing the game with a deck comprising one or more packs of cards, and the or each pack having more or less cards than a conventional pack of playing cards.
 20. The card game according to claim 11, further comprising the step of one of playing or reproducing the game in electronic format, by remote betting on the world wide web, on the internet, on a local area network or a remote network, or by way of a scratch-card or a lottery, or as a family game or a fun game. 